is on capitol hill this afternoon. steve, what did they learn? >> reporter:pat,thanks, goodevening. according to one democrat, who attended one of those two closed-door sessions here up on the hill, the cia threw a politically important lifeline to obama, u.n. ambassador dr. susan rice. but the overall issue remains highly political, highly partisan. even personal. libya's become a battle between president obama and republican senator john mccain, who insisted again today the administration knew quickly that al qaeda had attacked. >> and for the president of the united states, for two weeks afterwards, to deny that that was the case, is either a cover-up or it is incompetence. >> reporter: susan rice denied it, infuriating republicans. acting cia director mike morerel on the hill today briefed some lawmakers on libya. one, a democrat said the account backed rice, that u.s. intelligence did give her the incorrect account that she passed on. >> that this was a spontaneous protest that involved something militant. that was the best information. they said they had at the time. >> reporter: there